A Basic Overview Of The Paleo Diet

The Paleo Diet is being hailed as the healthiest diet in the world because it is based on the diet that humans are genetically adapted to. In other words, it dates back to the caveman age and is loosely based on what our ancestors ate, so if you can’t hunt and gather it, generally you can’t include it in your diet.

In this day and age our diets can become clogged with trans fats, sugar and processed foods which can be the cause of many problems such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease, so ridding yourself of these things can have some great health benefits.

The Paleo diet may help you to:

Reduce your risk of heart disease

Lose weight

Eliminate acne

Have more energy

Improve your sleep patterns

Increase your libido

Improve your mental outlook

Reduce allergies

Although there are slight variations to the diet, generally they all follow the same rule of thumb, so if you want to try and achieve some of the results above, here’s a basic overview of what you’ll need to eat:

Lean grass produced meats – they help you to feel full between meals and they help support strong muscles and healthy bones.

Fresh fruit and vegetables – they are full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that have been known to reduce the risk of developing some diseases including cancer and diabetes.

Omega-3 fats – they are commonly found in fatty fish and can drastically reduce the risk of developing cancer, heart disease and obesity.

Eggs – they are one of the most nutritious foods on earth, loaded with vitamins, minerals, quality protein and good fats.

Healthy oils including olive, coconut, flaxseed and canola – they have been known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure and obesity.

Of course there are certain foods you’ll need to avoid as well:

Cereal grains

Legumes

Refined sugar

Dairy

Salt

Potatoes

Processed foods

Peanuts

Refined vegetable oils

Alcohol

If this sounds like a diet you could see yourself sticking to, do some thorough research before you try it. There are a huge number of books about the Paleo diet that will explain in great detail what you can and can’t eat, you’ll need to plan out your meals each week and like any other diet you’ll also need to include some exercise into your regime.

As with any diet, there are those who believe in the Paleo whole heartedly and there are those who condemn it (mostly because it’s not technically a balanced diet when you cut out so many foods). Only time will tell if this diet will work for you, but why not give it a try for thirty days? If by the end of it you don’t feel more energised, you haven’t lost weight and you’re still sleeping terribly then it’s probably not the diet for you.

Image via activ8athleticism.com

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